What do you think motivates a person to own a gun or rifle? Are these reasons valid and sufficient from the point of view of the collective?

Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe. Switzerland does not have a standing army, instead opting for a people's militia for its national defense. The vast majority of men between the ages of 20 and 30 are conscripted into the militia and undergo military training, including weapons training. The personal weapons of the militia are kept at home as part of the military obligations; Switzerland thus has one of highest militia gun ownership rates in the world.

In recent times a minority of political opposition has expressed a desire for tighter gun regulations. A referendum in February 2011 rejected stricter gun control.

Why do you think that even though a large percentage of the population in Switzerland has a weapon at home, the death by firearm is significantly lower than in USA?

NRA leaders have expressed their view that most mass murders occur because of the lack of policy about treatment and supervision of mentally ill people. Do you agree with this statement or not? Why?

Did you know that 100 times more children die in a swimming pool than by a firearm? What do you think about banning swimming pools?